67
Metascore
17 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Village VoiceStephanie ZacharekVillage VoiceStephanie ZacharekDemme, following in the footsteps of the late Louis Malle, takes a spare, direct approach to the material -- his economy pays off in quiet eloquence.
- 75Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenJonathan Demme makes loving sport of the trust his actors have clearly placed in him, erecting for them a monument to the joys and terrors of walking an emotional high wire.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerThe Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerWith such well-tuned performances and scattered intensity, it's unfortunate that the technical aspects of the film are not always up to par.
- 67The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloDemme barely even makes an effort, shooting mostly in bland close-ups with the occasional zoom for completely random emphasis. Nor does A Master Builder have any meta-element—it’s like "Vanya On 42nd Street" without 42nd Street.
- 60Time OutKeith UhlichTime OutKeith UhlichThe film adheres closely to a well-reviewed theater production cocreated by and starring Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, both of whom get to riff on their prickly "My Dinner with Andre" rapport.
- 60The DissolveNoel MurrayThe DissolveNoel MurrayShawn’s adaptation mostly follows Ibsen’s original text, which is what keeps A Master Builder on the level of a well-meaning but only intermittently electrifying exercise.
- 60The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenAs both an actor and a playwright, Wallace Shawn, at his most audacious, goes for the jugular, but in sneaky roundabout ways.
- 50The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyA Master Builder really doesn’t work, hampered by odd casting, theatrical performances and a reductive interpretation of Ibsen’s play.
- 40VarietyJay WeissbergVarietyJay WeissbergThe adaptation lacks a strong enough sense of modulated construction, making for a tedious sit. One of the biggest problems, though, is the performances.
- 38New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeThe film is full of baffling choices, like the EKG machine that beeps for the first 40 minutes, so loud and so maddening that the great words barely register. Mumblecore is not a good look for Ibsen.